Date of Award
12-31-2025
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Timothy Hacsi
Second Advisor
Kelly Colvin
Third Advisor
Olivia Weisser
Abstract
In the mid-twentieth century, the United States of America had an unsung problem.The country had emerged from World War II as a superpower and the high of victory was still fresh, but under the surface the nation was desperately searching for stability to cope with the trauma of war. This search saw a cultural push back to traditional values and gender roles and a heavy focus on the nuclear family as the heart of society. As such, a great amount of pressure was placed on the shoulders of the American housewives who were at the center of the home and family. In her 1963 publication The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan introduced the concept of an epidemic of dissatisfaction in the lives of mid-twentieth century American housewives that she dubbed the “problem with no name” due to the widespread reluctance to discuss the issue. This paper serves to examine the society that aided in the creation of such a mental health crisis and to juxtapose two common and vastly different ways in which the women of this era sought fulfillment: prescription tranquilizer use and community involvement. At the time, women were prescribed minor tranquilizers as a way to manage their feelings of anxiety and depression, but this led to dependency issues that worsened the problem. Conversely, involvement with their community through volunteer organizations or general socialization did more to help with the isolation that was at the root of the issue, although it was by no means a perfect solution. Ultimately, it was connection with other women and feeling as though they were doing something meaningful that was imperative in battling the problem that Friedan presented.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Kristen, "The Homemaker's Guide to Happiness: A Comparison of Methods Used by Dissatisfied Mid-Twentieth Century American Housewives in Their Pursuit of Fulfillment" (2025). Graduate Masters Theses. 943.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses/943
Included in
Cultural History Commons, History of Gender Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons
Comments
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